When Realities Collide
by Lady Deathscythe
Summary: A crossover of Gundam Wing and DBZ... actually more of a GW fic, that's why it's not in the DBZ section as well. Anyway, it's one of the 'Trunks ends up in a different universe when time travelling'. I know there are loads of these, but I wanted a go! ^_^
1. For the future

DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything even remotely linked to the characters

DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything even remotely linked to the characters. Do own the plot however.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I started writing this on a whim. I have only a vague idea of where it's heading so I'm just gonna write whenever I have an idea. Unlike most of my fics this is kinda serious, so since this is really my first try at this type of fic, please don't flame unless you really feel that you have to (hint hint DON'T). Thanks!

Oh yeah, no Relena-bashing in this one (Relena fans cheer). I told you I'm being serious! 

WARNINGS: Pairings are Hx1 and 2xH but I didn't overdo it – I hope. ^_^

Chapter 1

Trunks sat alone in the darkness, silently contemplating his mother's words. 'Trunks, the time machine's ready to go anytime. You sure you want to do this?' No, he wasn't sure – not one little bit. But that wasn't the point. He had to do it; there were so many people counting on him, depending on him.

_No, I'm not sure Mom._

His eyes hardened with resolve.

_But I'm going anyway._

_ _

The door slid open, bathing the boy in yellow light. Bulma stepped into the room. She looked haggard, dark circles were framing her eyes.

"Trunks what are you still doing up? You need your rest if you're going tomorrow." Concern was etched over her features.

Trunks looked at his mother. What had been a strong and vibrant person had been reduced to a shadow of her former self. When he looked at her, he wanted to cry. He always held his tears back though, not wanting her to see. He wondered briefly what would happen if he were to fail in his mission.

_Don't think like that! If you worry too much about failing you WILL fail._

"Trunks, what are you thinking about?"

He jumped, startled out of his thoughts. "Nothing Mom, I'll go to bed in a minute."

Bulma smiled, a sight that made her son's heart soar. She walked over to where Trunks was sitting and gently urged him upwards into a standing stance, putting her arms around him, she held him close. She whispered softly to him. "Trunks I love you. Come back to me okay?" Trunks nodded. His mother had gone through so much already; the years of pain and loss had taken their toll on her. He'd succeed in his mission and come back alive – if only to spare her more heartache. He, himself, had nothing left to live for.

The next morning Trunks listened to the humming of the time machine as he sat in the capsule. It was cramped, only enough space for one person. But that's all that was needed. One person to make all the difference. 

The humming increased and Bulma called out, "Keep your arms and legs inside the capsule at all times; enjoy your flight!" He grinned at her, this being the first time in years he'd seen her so happy.

"See you later Mom! Don't worry about me, this wont take long!"

There was a flash of blue light and the humming in the room ceased. Bulma looked at the empty space that had contained both her son and her life's greatest work. Now, both were gone. She sighed and walked back over to the computer. She checked the time machine's status on the screen. Everything looked normal, so far so good.

Then Bulma noticed something about the co-ordinates set in the computers memory banks and nearly passed out from shock.

_Oh no! Trunks!_

She gasped. It was all she could get out. She fell to her knees and her defences down, she began to cry…

SOMEWHERE IN ANOTHER DIMENSION…

Relena Peacecraft looked out of her bedroom window and watched the softly falling snow. It had settled during the night and everything was covered by a blanket of white. She was only vaguely aware of the door opening behind her. Heero poked his head through the door.

"Relena. Why didn't you answer?"

Relena turned. "Oh Heero. What is it?"

"I take it you didn't hear me knock."

"I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't paying much attention; I was watching the snow. Don't you think it's pretty Heero?" She smiled, turning to face the window once more.

"Hn."

Heero went over to stand next to Relena. "Quatre's come to visit," he told her, in the usual monotone. The pair then heard a loud and cheerful voice coming from another room. "Bow down y'all, to the Great Shinigami!"

"Duo, please calm down," Quatre told his fellow pilot.

Relena muffled her laughter. "Looks like he brought Duo along for the ride." "Let's go." Heero walked towards the door.

Relena followed Heero, closing the door behind her she made her way to the kitchen where Quatre and Duo were waiting. Duo had already raided the fridge; there was plenty of evidence in plain sight.

"Hey Heero, what took you guys so long? Oh actually, on second thoughts I don't think I wanna know." Duo slid off his stool and held out his hand to Heero. To everyone's surprise he took Duo's hand in his own and shook it firmly.

"Hey, I guess Relena's been teaching you some manners," Duo said, a grin on his face.

"Hn…Quatre," Heero responded, nodding at the golden-haired boy.

"Hello Heero."

Quatre then turned his gaze towards the former 'Queen of the World'. "Good morning Miss Relena."

"Hello Quatre. Please, call me Relena. We've known each other too long for formalities."

"Of course."

Duo finished stuffing his face and then addressed Relena. "Hey Lena, I know you were in a hurry to see us, me being so cute an' all, but you could've gotten dressed first; we would've waited for ya y'know." His eyes sparkled mischievously.

Relena looked down at herself. She then realised that she was still wearing her robe; it was early after all.

"Oh excuse me!" she said, a faint tinge of red on her cheeks. Heero stepped over to her and put an arm around her waist. He kissed her forehead.

"Go ahead and get dressed, Quatre and I will keep Duo out of trouble," he said with a smirk.

Relena blushed again. She wasn't used to public displays of affection – not from Heero. "I resent that remark!" Duo yelled in mock annoyance.

Quatre smiled at him. "You know it's true Duo," he said, his smile growing wider.

"Okay, okay. Hey Princess, don't worry. With Heero here watching me like a hawk, I can't possibly get into any trouble."

Relena smiled at the three pilots. One her lover, the two her friends. Of course, she thought of them more as brothers than friends. It was nice having them visit. Unlike the other two. Trowa was always busy at the circus and Wufei…well, he's Wufei. She missed them both.

"Something wrong Lena?" Duo asked.

"No. I'll be back in a few moments."

She walked to her room and opening the door, she entered. As she reached her window however, something caught her eye. She could see a bright blue spark through the glass, which suddenly became a large blue streak, so fast that she couldn't follow it. She only knew that it had landed in the forest. There was a flash of white light. Relena watched in amazement, her heart pounding. The flash had originated from where the blue spark had stopped.

"What on earth was that?"

What do you think it is? It's pretty obvious actually. Did you like it? Should I carry on with this? My first try at a serious Gundam fic. Hmm. Maybe I should stick to humour. Anyway please REVIEW!!!! 


	2. Where am I?

Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: Mwahahaha! Fanfic authors will one day rule the world! Until then, I don't own anything except my copy of Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park and the Crawling DVD. (My mum pays for every else ^_^)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: From the reviews I take it you guys like this so here's Chapter 2. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

Trunks waited impatiently for the roar of the time machine's engine to die down. "Hurry up you bucket of bolts, I've got things to do!" He opened the hatch and climbed out. "Phew, fresh air at last."

He turned away from the machine to get a good look at his surroundings.

Hmm. Am I in the right place? I didn't think there was a forest anywhere near my destination. And I'm pretty sure it wasn't supposed to snow.

He tried to clear his mind of random thoughts and focus on the task at hand. He capsulated the time machine, not bothering to try to hide the evidence of his appearance since the spot was obscured by bushes.

That's weird. I can't sense anyone's Ki. Maybe they're just too far away. But…the time machine should have landed no more than a couple of miles away from where everybody's gonna gather to wait for Freeza…shouldn't it?

_This is weird._

_ _

Checking that there was no around, Trunks used the capsule containing the time machine and climbed back in. He checked the coordinates that had been set in the memory banks a few days before. "Dammit!" He swore as he realised just what had gone wrong. Not that it was hard to fix, just that it would take a while. Would this blunder cost everyone he knew, and more, their futures?

"Oh mom, Gohan, I'm so sorry," he said in a hushed tone. "I messed up."

What am I saying? Mom would punch me if she could hear me talking like this! There's no way I'm gonna fail.

"Don't worry guys. I'll come through, for you and the rest of the future. I promise."

* * *

"Heero!"

Relena rushed over to him. "Heero, I need to talk to you."

"Relena. What's wrong?" The Perfect Soldier spoke calmly but not in the emotionless way that had been his trademark.

" I thought you were gonna go get dressed Lena," Duo said then.

"I got sidetracked."

She then explained what she had seen through the window.

"What d'ya think it is Heero? A new mobile suit?" Duo asked.

Quatre having remained silent for several minutes spoke. "A new type of mobile suit would mean a new enemy, wouldn't it?" He asked the question calmly but Duo could see that he was rattled.

"Don't worry about it Q-man. Me and Deathscythe will take care of it and be back in time for tea."

Heero interrupted then. "Don't you two think you're overreacting? Nothing has occurred in the last year and a half to make me believe that there is a new enemy."

"Heero's right, the Earth is full of peace and so are the Colonies," Relena stated firmly.

"I don't doubt that Lena. But it doesn't hurt to be sure."

A new voice interrupted them. "You're all weak. Why don't you just go and find out what it is instead of standing around complaining like a bunch of Onnas?"

Relena and the three pilots turned towards the speaker.

"Wu-man!" exclaimed Duo. "What're you doing here?"

"Trowa!" Quatre rushed forward to greet the tall pilot of Heavyarms having just gotten a glimpse of him standing behind the Chinese boy.

"Hello Quatre." Trowa turned and nodded to each of the others in turn, never one to talk unnecessarily.

"Wufei, Trowa," Heero said looking over at them. "What are you two doing here?"

"Trowa wanted to visit Quatre," Wufei said promptly.

Trowa looked over at Wufei pointedly.

"That doesn't explain why you're here." The pilot of Wing Zero leaned against the wall.

"I…" Wufei struggled with the words.

"Just tell them Wufei," Trowa said then. "It's not that big of a deal." His eyes sparkled mischievously.

"Oh, all right. I came to the Earth to visit Sally."

"Sally?" Duo asked. "Do you mean the doctor who was on board the Peacemillion during our battle with the White Fang?"

"Yes," Wufei muttered, barely audible.

Relena then decided to come to the pilot's rescue by interrupting before Duo could ask him any more questions.

"Hello Trowa, hello Wufei. How are you both? I trust your journey here was pleasant."

Wufei threw her a grateful look. "I'm fine."

"Where are you guys staying?" Quatre asked.

"We haven't decided yet."

"In that case you can both stay here with Heero and me," Relena offered. "Quatre and Duo are already staying so it will give us all a chance to catch up."

Trowa glanced at Wufei who shrugged.

"Thank you for the offer Relena. We will stay with you," Trowa answered. A smile appeared on Relena's face. "I'm glad, I haven't seen you all for a long time."

"Relena," Heero said then. "I think you should tell Trowa and Wufei about what you saw in the forest."

"Of course." Relena repeated what she had just told the others to the two newly arrived pilots.

Afterwards Trowa said, "I'll go and check it out."

"I'll go with you," Heero said. He addressed the others. "When we get back we'll let you all know what we've found out."

"Sure thing Heero," Quatre replied. "The rest of us will wait here for you two to return."

* * *

Trunks re-capsulated the time machine, sighing loudly. He levitated a few metres off the ground, looking at his surroundings once again. His Saiyan eyesight could make out a building of some sort a few miles away. He decided that his best bet would be to find a place to stay while he made modifications to the time machine. After all, modifying the time machine's co-ordinates would take some time. Bulma had done it herself and she had taken steps to ensure that no unauthorised person could tamper with the machine. Of course, she had explained how it all worked to her son but he hadn't really paid all that much attention. He'd had so many other things to concentrate on. Remembering to take Goku's heart medication for one. He mentally cursed himself for not listening for attentively to her instructions. He was going to have to figure it out on his own, without help from Bulma.

He looked over at the building again; it was the only one in sight. He took off towards it, powering up slightly in his haste.

A few moments passed and then Trunks was only a few metres from the building. He was about to go over to the entrance when the door opened revealing two teenage boys. One was tall, with light brown hair that covered one of his emerald eyes. The other was slightly shorter and had dark brown hair that fell messily across his forhead. He had deep Prussian blue eyes.

Instinct told Trunks to wait before going over to the boys so he waited and watched them from the bushes.

"Which direction did Relena say the flash of light come from?" the tall boy asked.

"Somewhere in that direction Trowa," the other said pointing in the direction from which Trunks had just come. "She said it must've been a couple of miles away."

"A couple of miles? Heero, if it was that far away, wouldn't it be improbable that she could see it?"

"Must've been a big light flash."

The two got into a car and drove past Trunks who went further back into the bushes to avoid detection. When they were a safe distance away he emerged from the bushes and went over to the front door. He pushed the doorbell; it chimed loudly in response.

"I hope I don't regret this," he murmured as the door swung open.

Well, what do you think? I know nothing much happened but just bare with me okay? I'll get more done soon. Right now I'm in the process of updating four fics and I have writers block on two of them.

Anyway someone brought it to my attention that I didn't mention time periods so here it is. This fic takes place after the GW series but before Endless Waltz. In fact, Endless Waltz doesn't even occur – one reason being that I still haven't seen it. Stupid UK Cartoon Network!

BTW, you know that box at the bottom of the page? No not there, that's the one, well done. ^_^ Now USE IT!

Lady Deathscythe 21/05/01


	3. A new threat?

Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I'm poor. Don't sue me.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm sorry this took ages but I've been having a rest after exams. I'm trying to update 2 other fics at the moment so look out for those soon! 

BTW, in the first chapter I wrote something weird about pairings. IGNORE IT. The pairings are 1xR, 2xH and um… I think that's it. Phew, I wonder what I was on when I typed the first part. This chapter's slightly longer than the other two, to make up for the delay.

Chapter 3

The doorbell chimed loudly. 

"I'll get it Relena," Duo said. He walked out of the room, towards the entrance hall and then to the door. Reaching for the handle, he pulled the door open.

"Whoa!" Duo's expression was one of complete surprise. "You've got purple hair!"

The boy in front of him smiled briefly (no pun intended! ^_^) and said, "Excuse me, but could you tell me which direction the nearest hotel is in? I'm kinda lost."

"Um, sorry pal, the nearest hotel isn't for miles," Duo said. He turned around as he felt someone tapping on his shoulder.

"Duo, aren't you going to invite our guest in? It's much too cold to be having a discussion out here on the porch." Relena smiled at the stranger before turning away from Duo and making her way back inside. Duo grinned at Trunks. 

"Come on in."

"Thanks."

* * *

"So um…"Relena started.

"Trunks," he supplied.

"Oh right, thank you. Trunks, my name is Relena Peacecraft. This is Quatre, Wufei and Duo," she said, indicating each in turn. "Duo tells me that you're lost."

"Yeah," he said, flashing her a lopsided grin. Relena looked at him and felt her knees going weak. "I'm not from around here and I needed directions to the nearest hotel."

"Well, as Duo said, the nearest hotel isn't for a few miles and you can't walk that far in the snow," she said, looking concerned. She thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "You can stay here!" she exclaimed. "For a little while at least," she said more calmly. Her face was flushed as she realised that she had said it so vehemently.

"I couldn't," he said quickly. "I wouldn't want to impose," he added, not wanting to offend her.

Truth was, that he didn't want to stay anywhere that would require him to be close contact with anyone. After all, he couldn't allow anyone to find out about the time machine. Besides, staying there would mean that he would have to make up a more plausible cover story.

"Don't worry about imposing, there's plenty of room. Right Duo?" Relena looked at the pilot of Deathscythe.

"Yeah Trunks there's loads of room. Besides, you'd be better off if ya gave in now. She usually manages to get her own way." Duo grinned wryly.

Relena stared at Duo, trying to copy Heero's deathglare. Duo laughed. "You need to practice some more Rel."

"I know, but he makes it look so easy."

"That's 'cause his face stuck like that after a few years."

"Duo!" she said sternly, but her eyes twinkled with suppressed mirth.

Quatre who had (along with Wufei) been silently watching the three since they had come in from the entrance hall spoke up. "Relena is right Trunks. It's bitterly cold outside and it's much too far to walk. I really think it's a good idea for you to stay. At least until it stops snowing."

Wufei stood watching the debate in a corner. _I bet Heero wont think it's a good idea, _he thought, as he watched Relena talking to Trunks.

* * *

Meanwhile, Heero and Trowa had gotten to the edge of the forest and had left the car to proceed on foot through the dense undergrowth. They walked in silence, towards the direction in which Relena had seen the strange flash of light. After a few minutes, Trowa said, "What do you think we'll find?"

Heero brushed some snow out of his hair. "No idea." He pulled out his gun and checked to make sure it was fully loaded. Trowa glanced over at him but wasn't really surprised; Heero almost always had a gun with him.

Noticing the look he received, Heero said, "Basic rule, 'always be prepared'."

Trowa nodded in reply. They continued through the forest, dodging tree roots that seemed determined to trip them both up. 

A few minutes later, they stopped walking. They had arrived at a clearing. What made them stop though, was that there seemed to be a perfect circle on the ground, formed by the freshly fallen snow. It was only an inch deep, unlike the surrounding snow, which was at least a foot and a half deep.

"Strange, I wonder how that happened," Trowa said, standing at the edge of the snow crater.

"Seems that the snow that was originally here was melted. Since it hasn't snowed very much since then, it hasn't evened out yet." _What could have done that? _The answer that came to Heero's mind came instantly. _A mobile suit? But it would've taken a large suit to make a crater this big. A run of the mill OZ model couldn't have done it. It would have to be as big as …a Gundam?_

Trowa appeared to have made the same connections. He glanced at Heero, a question evident in his eyes. "We'd better get back," he said. "We'll need to discuss this with Wufei, Quatre and Duo."

"Agreed. Let's go."

* * *

Back at Relena's mansion, Trunks had finally given in and agreed to let Relena mother him. He grinned inwardly. The girl was barely seventeen, but she reminded him a lot of his mother. Strong willed, used to getting her own way…

"Okay, Pagan would you please show Trunks to his room?" she said. The butler complied and with a simple "Yes, Miss Relena," began to move over to the door. Duo intervened. 

"Hey Pagan! Wait a sec, I'll show Trunks the way. You do loads already." 

"It's quite alright, it is my duty," Pagan replied.

Relena smiled. "Don't worry, if Duo gets lost I'm sure he'll be able to yell loud enough for us to hear him. You may take the afternoon off Pagan."

"Are you sure Miss?"

"Of course. Duo can be your replacement for the rest of the day." She couldn't keep a grin from appearing on her face.

"Oh _that's _fair," drawled Duo. "I try to be helpful and you make fun of me. I'm hurt, I really am."

Quatre, Duo and Relena laughed. Trunks watched them quietly. _Hmm, this might not be too bad after all. They don't seem like they'll be nosy or anything so I should be able to fix the time machine without them asking too many questions. With a little luck, I'll be on my way within the next three days._

There was a shrill beeping sound and Quatre got up to answer the vid-phone. Heero appeared on the screen. 

"We've finished over here Quatre. We're coming back now and we'll need to discuss some things with you, Duo and Wufei."

"Sure thing Heero, see you later."

Trunks' thoughts were interrupted then by Duo. "Come on T-man! Let's find your room!"

"Okay, I'm coming." Trunks followed Duo out of the room.

Quatre sat back down. Looking at Wufei, he said, "Heero didn't seem very happy. I wonder what they found."

Wufei crossed his arms and lent against the wall. "We'll know soon enough."

* * *

When Trowa and Heero got back, Duo, Quatre and Wufei immediately went to discuss their findings with them. Quatre to say the least was not pleased.

"A Gundam? But, I thought that there weren't any more other than our own, Epyon and Wing. Who could've built it?"

"Calm down Quatre," Trowa said to the blond pilot. "We don't know for certain if it was a Gundam, or even a mobile suit."

"But there _is _the possibility right?" Duo asked. He seemed flustered as well.

"You are all jumping to conclusions," said a feminine voice. 

Five heads turned towards the door. The speaker was a woman, with short dark hair. 

"Hilde!" Duo exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see visit Relena, and she told me you were here."

Wufei coughed. "Can we get back to the meeting?"

"Grouch." Hilde smiled. "I'll see you guys later."

Hilde left the room and climbed one of the twenty sets of staircases in the mansion. Making a split second decision to powder her nose, she made her way to the nearest bathroom. Upon opening the door she found herself faced with a sight she had never encountered before. In front of her was a guy she'd never seen before in her life, fixing his hair in front of the mirror, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. 

Hearing her, he turned around.

"Aaaaagghhhhhh!!!!"

"Aaaaaaaaggggghhh!!!!"

Two screams pierced the air. The pilots didn't noticed though; they were too busy arguing with each other. Relena had been passing at the time, and heard the screams loud and clear. Going over to the door, and praying that she wouldn't regret it, she turned the handle and opened the door…and nearly collapsed with laughter. Trunks was standing there in a towel, and Hilde was out cold on the bathroom floor. 

"I," Trunks began.

"It's okay," Relena said, choking back laughter. "I can guess what happened. I knew I should've got the lock fixed." 

Trunks blushed bright red. Relena still trying not to laugh, told Trunks to leave Hilde where she was and to go and get dressed. 

"Duo!" she called down the stairs. "Could you come up here please?"

"Coming Rel!" came his reply.

A few minutes later Duo was doubled over with laughter, after having placed Hilde in a spare bedroom and after being told by Relena what had happened.

"I wish I could've seen her face! That would've been priceless!" he howled.

Trunks had by now gotten dressed and was standing next to Relena, still blushing. Just then, Heero came up the stairs. He stopped as he saw Trunks. He looked over at Relena and waited for an explanation. 

"Heero, this is Trunks," Relena said hurriedly. She explained his predicament to the Perfect Soldier and how Trunks was going to be staying for a few days. To Relena's relief, Heero said he fine about it. 

Duo however, knew Heero very well. _Hmm, Heero seems…nah can't be. Wait a second, it's true! Heero's jealous! This is a new one._ Duo smirked as Heero went back down the stairs to continue their discussion. 

"What's wrong with you Duo?" Relena asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He grinned and followed Heero down the stairs.

*sending subliminal messages*

Review…. review….review…

Did it work? ^_^


	4. A peaceful interlude

DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: As usual, sorry for taking ages. And thanks to Marai for the encouragement, this chapter's dedicated to you!

Chapter 4

Quatre sighed and touched a finger to his temple. "Guys," he said in a placating tone, "Don't you think we've argued enough for one day?"

"Yeah," said Duo stifling a yawn. "I'm gonna collapse soon."

Trowa sat silently, watching his fellow pilots as they continued their discussion. He had to admit, after nine solid hours of discussion he had definitely had enough. He looked at meaningfully at Heero.

Staring back at Trowa's visible eye, Heero nodded and said, "It's getting late. Let's continue this in the morning." With that he rose and exited the room.

"Look at that," Duo said. "Without so much as a 'see you later.'"

"He must be in hurry for some reason," Quatre replied.

Trowa glanced at the pair. "It's his business," he said simply.

Wufei said nothing. He merely watched Heero's retreating figure moving up a flight of stairs and smirked. 

"What's so funny Wufei?" Duo asked.

"Nothing. I'll see you guys later."

* * *

"Hilde! Where are you going?"

"Um…"

Relena stared hard at the girl in front of her. "You should be in bed," she said firmly. "You hit your head on the floor, you've only just regained consciousness." 

"Really Relena, I'm fine," Hilde in a desperate voice. "Please, let me get out of bed."

"No."

"Relena," Hilde started.

"It's for your own good," Relena interrupted.

"You know," Hilde said in exasperation, "You're getting even more protective than Duo."

"I'll take that as a complement."

Hilde narrowed her eyes and was about to retort but stopped when she heard someone knocking on the door.

"Come in," she said.

"Hey Hun," Duo greeted her.

"Hey Duo."

"How're you feeling?"

Hilde glared over at Relena. "I'm fine Duo, but Miss Peacecraft here wont let me out of bed."

"Rel's right you know Hilde. It's better you rest. Besides, it's too late to be up now anyway so I'm gonna hit the sack. See you both in the morning."

Before Hilde could reply Duo was out of the room.

Relena smiled smugly. "You were saying?"

Hilde said nothing, but sighed in defeat. Then she heard footsteps outside the room. "Duo probably forgot something," she said to her blond companion. There was a knock at the door. "Come in," she said again.

But it wasn't Duo. The door opened almost timidly and a lilac-haired boy poked his head into the room.

"Excuse me," Trunks said softly. "But I came to apologise to Hilde." He opened the door wider to let himself through, then closed it gently.

Hilde looked over at him, a faint blush coming to her cheeks as she remembered the earlier incident.

"I'm sorry," Trunks said. "I didn't mean to scare you." He was blushing profusely.

"That's okay," Hilde replied.

"And I must apologise," Relena said then. "To both of you. I really should get that lock fixed."

"No problem Rel, don't worry about it. Anyway, now that's been sorted, can I get out of bed?"

"No." 

* * *

Heero stopped outside a door on the way to his room. He had heard voices and with his instincts taking over, he listened carefully to them, trying to distinguish between the voices. He quickly identified Relena, but there was another voice that he couldn't quite place. It was a male voice, not one of the pilots, that much was obvious. With a start he realised that it must be that boy Relena had permitted to stay – Trunks was his name.

Heero growled softly to himself and placed his hand on the doorknob. He turned it slightly but then stopped and pulled his hand away.

_What's wrong with me? Why am I acting like this? I trust Relena…don't I?_

Heero stood completely still for a moment and then he heard laughter filtering through the door from the room behind. Hilde's laughter. Heero let out a breath he had not known he was holding and visibly relaxed. He sighed softly and continued to his room, his thoughts in turmoil.

From his vantage point in the shadows on the stairs, a boy watched the confused pilot leave. "Heero," he murmured, a small smile on his lips. "You find it so hard to trust." Quatre allowed his smile to widen. "But Relena is one person you _can_ trust." 

The next morning Wufei rose early and left his room seeking a place in which to meditate without fear of distraction. As he walked at a leisurely pace through the mansion, Wufei passed the butler, Pagan. After learning from him where such a room was to be found, Wufei made hastily towards it.

"At last," he murmured, opening the door. He was surprised to see that the room was already occupied. 

Trunks sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, with a calm expression on his face. He opened his eyes as he heard Wufei entering and smiled as way of greeting. He then closed his eyes once more.

Wufei sat a few metres away, sitting in the same fashion. Taking a few deep and calming breaths he fell into concentration.

* * * 

Heero sat blinking in the morning sun. Despite the fact that he was outside with his friends and was supposed to be relaxing, he held his laptop in front of him, typing his thoughts on the prospect of the possible new mobile suit.

"Hey Heero!" Duo called out. "Come on in, the water's fine!"

Heero looked up and smirked as the braided boy was mercilessly set upon by Relena and Hilde. The two respectively pushed and pulled him under the water's surface. When he came spluttering back up he stood for a moment gasping for breath, then immediately dove at Hilde, who shrieked with laughter as she attempted to get out of his way. 

Trowa sat by the pool watching the melee as Quatre laughed at their antics, almost spilling his drink over the taller pilot in the process. Trowa's face contorted into a pained expression whilst Quatre looked at him apologetically. Without warning, Trowa suddenly grinned mischievously and pushed Quatre into the pool.

Heero couldn't help but laugh. Finally setting his laptop down he stood, stretched languidly and knelt down at the water's edge. Relena swam over and placed her arms on the pool edge, holding herself steady in the water. 

"Heero," she began quietly, "Are you alright?" Heero glanced at her.

"What do you mean Relena?"

"You seem to be very distracted of late," she said, raising an arm to shield herself from Duo's next aquatic attack.

"It's because of what Trowa and I found yesterday," he replied matter-of-factly.

"Heero… are you sure there's nothing else wrong? You didn't come to say goodnight yesterday. Have I done something to upset you?" Relena asked earnestly, concern showing in her clear blue eyes.

Heero bit his lip. Then he looked at the blond girl in front of him and murmured softly, "You haven't upset me… I just assumed you were already asleep."

Relena looked at him carefully but Heero's face wouldn't betray his thoughts. Seemingly satisfied with this response, Relena turned back to the others in the pool. Heero stood and went back to his laptop. He opened a file and entered a password as prompted. Sighing softly he continued with his work.

* * *

"So, the sword is also your weapon of choice," Wufei said approvingly.

Trunks nodded, lilac strands falling into his eyes. "For a long time now."

"Perhaps you'd care to duel with me sometime. I am in need of new challenge."

"Sure," Trunks replied grinning. "Whenever you're ready."

Wufei smiled. "Tomorrow morning," he decided, getting up to leave. "I've got some things to take care of right now."

Trunks nodded in acceptance and watched Wufei as he turned and left the room.

_Now's my chance to work on the time machine. Good thing this room is out of the way. It wouldn't help me very much if someone saw the machine, or my other capsules for that matter._

Trunks pulled the container holding the capsules out of his jacket pocket and uncapsulated Bulma Briefs' greatest work. He quickly entered the password into the computer so he could access the machine's memory banks.

"Whoa, this is gonna take a while." Grimacing slightly, the teen from the future set to work. "Oh mom, you **had **to make this hard," he muttered.

A few hours later, the mentally exhausted demi-saiyan collapsed in an unceremonious heap on the floor. He reached back into his pocket and recapsulated the time machine. Placing the capsules back into their original place, Trunks felt his fingers brush against something. It felt like a scrap of paper. Carefully, he pulled it out of his pocket to take a look.

His hand trembled involuntarily as he looked at the photograph. It had been taken a few years before – there he was, in the middle. Definitely younger, but with the same look of determination he still wore. His mother on the side, smiling as she held her son in her arms, and on the other side, his mentor and best friend, Gohan.

Gripping the photograph with stiff fingers, Trunks let a solitary tear trace its way down his cheek.

* * *

Quatre was walking through the hallway towards his room when he felt a tremendous surge of mental pain and anguish. He gasped and fell to his knees, hit full force by the wave of anger and regret. He took a deep breath and then shaking, Quatre got to his feet. Taking a shuddering breath he whispered, "Trunks…"


	5. The duel

DISCLAIMER: See previous chapters…

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here's the fifth instalment, hope you like it J

Chapter 5

The sunlight streamed golden through the gap in the drapes. Quatre rubbed his eyes with one hand, trying to force away the overwhelming need for sleep. Blinking rapidly, he pushed the covers from his body and slid off the bed.

Landing with a gentle thump, the boy padded softly around the room until he arrived at one of the large windows. Pushing the velvet hangings aside, he slid back the glass door and stepped out onto the balcony. Inhaling deeply, he took in the sight of the glistening snow, now even deeper than before. He shielded his eyes from the sunlight with his hand, wrapping the other arm around himself in an attempt to ward off the chill. The sunbeams, though undoubtedly bright, did little to warm the morning. 

_Trunks, what's wrong? Why are you in so much pain?_

Quatre resolved that he would find out exactly why he could feel so much anger in the other boy. He would do his best to help.

As he stood in quiet contemplation, tiny cold flakes again began to fall.

A while later, Quatre showered and dressed, having resolved what he intended to do about their visitor. He opened his bedroom door and was not surprised to find Trowa standing, arms folded and leaning against the banister. "Good morning Trowa." Trowa looked directly at the golden-haired boy. "Quatre, are you okay?" he asked, searching his friend's face for any sign of what was bothering him.

"I'm okay Trowa," he replied. Seeing the disbelief on the taller boy's face he added, "I couldn't sleep last night; I'm overtired." This response seemed to satisfy the green-eyed pilot and they both proceeded downstairs for breakfast. Walking in to the dining room, they saw Wufei, sitting with Trunks.

"Good morning," Trunks greeted the pair. Wufei merely inclined his head.

"Good morning," Trowa replied politely. He looked over at Quatre, who had taken his usual seat at the breakfast table, looking deep in thought. "Quatre?"

The Arab looked up, opening his blue more widely and seeming to focus more clearly on his surroundings. He smiled reassuringly at Trowa and then spoke, directing his question at their guest. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you. I was just telling Wufei that I feel completely refreshed and ready for our duel," Trunks said breaking into a half-grin.

Refreshed? Quatre didn't think so. He'd been up half the night struggling with the inner turmoil and the continuous stream of hazy thoughts that plagued the boy's mind. He'd been relieved when Trunks had finally fallen asleep.

"A duel? What's going on," asked a female voice wryly.

"Good morning Relena, Hilde, Duo," Quatre greeted his friends.

"Hey Quatre," Duo replied. 

"Morning," Hilde smiled.

"Good morning," Relena added. Then with a toss of her hair she asked again, "What's this about a duel?"

Wufei grunted. "Our guest and I have plans to duel."

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"I need a challenge and Trunks seems to be at an appropriate level as a training partner."

"Hm," Relena murmured. "This could be interesting." Sitting down she said, "Do either of you have any great objection to my watching your duel?"

"I don't mind," Trunks said warmly. Relena flashed him a smile.

"It's not a spectator sport," Wufei said indignantly.

"What's wrong Wufei?" Duo said. "Scared you'll lose?"

"Of course not," he shot back. "When matched against a superior opponent, even defeat has its rewards."

"Well said," Trowa murmured.

"Well then, it doesn't matter if we watch, does it?" Duo said calmly. He reached for a fruit pastry. "Are you going to watch this with Relena and me, Hilde?"

"Sure, love to." She smiled and added, "Maybe you could have a go yourself."

"Me with a sword?" Duo asked grinning. "No thanks, I'll stick to a scythe."

The door opened then and they all looked up to see Heero walk in. 

"Hey Heero, you're up late aren't ya?" Duo said impudently.

Heero looked over at him. "Hn." He sat at the table. "I went back to the area with the light flash to see if Trowa and I had missed anything. The snowfall was heavy last night. There's no evidence of that strange thaw."

"Did you find anything else Heero?" Trowa asked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. I'm going back in a while."

"I'll come with you."

"I think I'll join you," Quatre said. Heero nodded his agreement.

"Heero," Relena said then. "Wufei and Trunks are going to duel after breakfast." Heero looked mildly interested. "Would you like to come and watch with the rest of us?"

He shook his head. "Sorry Relena, but I have a few things to take care of."

"Oh come on Heero! Take a minute to relax," Duo moaned. "You're so wound-up you make my teeth hurt."

"No, Duo." He got up and left the room once more. Duo immediately followed him. He watched as Heero opened the massive front door and walked outside; he left the door open. Duo walked through the doorway and pulled it closed behind him. Heero was standing at the top of the driveway, arms folded. Duo stopped next to him. They stood in silence for a few minutes.

"Well?" Heero prompted.

"What's your problem?" Duo said.

"I don't have a problem."

"I think you do. You know, I really thought you'd changed. But you're still the same as you always were. Miserable, irritable and too damn focused on one thing to notice anything else." 

Heero said nothing. He merely watched Duo, an indecipherable expression on his face.

"You really should spend some time with her, you know?" Duo sighed as Heero walked away. "You'll regret it if you don't." 

* * * 

Duo followed the others towards the back of the house, outside to the immense floral gardens. From the corner of his eye, he saw Heero standing in close proximity to Relena. He smiled. Heero caught his look and smirked back. Duo shook his head, muttering quietly to himself. He never knew how Heero was going to respond to anything.

Trunks looked over at Wufei. The Chinese had raised his katana in salute; his face held a look of intense concentration. Trunks gave his own salute, inclining his head, all the time keeping his eyes on his opponent. His blade gave a steely ring as it came sliding out of its scabbard. Their eyes locked, and Wufei lunged.

* * *

Bulma looked at her computer screen silently. She didn't know what to do. She had no idea where her son was, whether or not he was okay, or if he was even coming back. She wanted to cry. But the tears wouldn't come.

* * *

Trunks knew that he could end the fight almost immediately. He also knew that he wouldn't. He could tell that Wufei was regarded as a highly skilled swordsman; he had already realised that if he defeated Wufei too easily, everybody would become suspicious. It was obvious that Saiyans did not exist in this place; they would have much difficulty in accepting his differences.

_I'm can't let them find out... _He grinned inwardly. _But that doesn't mean I'm gonna lose either._

_He looks distracted, _Wufei thought, watching Trunks carefully. _So, he thinks he can beat me without paying attention ._His eyes narrowed. Suddenly, he changed the direction of his sword arm mid-swipe, attempting to catch the demi-saiyan off guard. To his surprise, the blow was countered easily, almost effortlessly. Wufei stumbled backward. _It's like he can read my mind! Nobody's reflexes are that fast! _Wufei managed to keep his disbelief from being read in his expression; no one noticed. Except for a certain Japanese pilot, who had been thinking exactly the same thing.

Wufei flipped backwards, trying to regain his footing, but Trunks wasn't going to allow it. He pushed forward immediately, trying to use Wufei's slip to his advantage. Wufei parried Trunks' next blow but the Saiyan had been counting on that. While Wufei was still caught up with blocking, Trunks twisted his blade slightly, jerking Wufei's own sword from his grasp. The sword was swept upward, landing point-first in the middle of Relena's yellow roses.

"Wow!" exclaimed Duo enthusiastically. "That was great."

"Indeed," said Wufei. He bowed to Trunks. "That was a most remarkable display."

"Thank you," Trunks replied.

"I will train harder," Wufei declared. "One day I will ask you for a rematch, so you'd better not stop training in the meantime."

"And I'll be only too happy to comply," Trunks replied, a little of his natural cockiness returning.

"Well done."

Five heads snapped round. Even Trowa's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Thank you," Trunks said again simply. Heero inclined his head, whispered momentarily to Relena, causing her to giggle, and left the room. Quatre stood silently, a look of concentration on his face.

"Quatre?" Trowa said then. Quatre didn't reply. He had been trying, was still trying, to tap into Trunks' thoughts. He had reasoned that the duel would be the best time, as Trunks would let his mental guard down since he would be concentrating on the ensuing fight. So far, all he had been able to come up with was the image of a pretty blue-haired woman, her arms wrapped around a little boy with lilac hair.

_That's Trunks… and his mother._

Trowa tried again. "Quatre?" he repeated, louder this time. Quatre broke out of his reverie to see Relena, Hilde, Trowa and Duo looking at him concernedly.

"Hey Quatre, you okay?" Duo asked.

"Yes, I'm fine, just a little tired," Quatre replied quickly.

"Um okay, if you're sure."

Everyone then filed slowly out of the room, leaving Wufei to retrieve his sword from the roses. Inside, Trowa sat down next to Heero. "Are we going?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Quatre," called Trowa. "You coming?"

"Yeah sure, be right with you," Quatre said.

_I'm still no closer to getting any answers from Trunks. Maybe I should just ask him._

It was with this in mind that Quatre joined Trowa and Heero outside. 


	6. In the snow

_DISCLAIMER: See previous chapters…_

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for lack of updates, here's the sixth chapter – finally. It follows numerous requests for me to continue. I wasn't sure I was going to bother but I don't like leaving loose ends. Anyway, I was so determined to finish this chapter that I wrote it while I was at work, during a 43 hour week. Apparently that's part-time hours… I know I took a long time updating – yet again, but I've been busy sorting out problems with my university application. There was a mix-up with it so I wasn't allocated a place at first. Anyway, I'm also leaving employment as of today, so I'll have a little more time on my hands for writing. Happy reading! _

Chapter 6

Quatre rubbed his hands together for warmth as he searched with Heero and Trowa for any signs of unnatural activity. The climate control available to them had caused him to forget the bitter cold outside and as such he had neglected to bring gloves. He blew on his hands gently, his clearly visible breathe rising upward and dissipating slowly.

The blond looked over at where Heero was standing, his left hand pressed against his hip, the other shielding his eyes from the glare of the sunlight reflected on the crisp white snow. He appeared to be lost in thought, but surprised Quatre by turning towards him suddenly and looking in his direction. He had an indecipherable expression on his face.

"Heero?" Quatre asked hesitantly, "Is something wrong?"

Heero shook his head and turned away. Trowa moved over to where the other two pilots were standing.

"I don't believe we will find anything of importance here," he said softly. "If there was something we missed, it would have been completely buried by now," he continued, gesturing meaningfully at the newly fallen snow. "Besides Heero, if there was anything here, you would have already found it."

Heero looked at the green-eyed boy and graced him with a smile. "You have too much faith in me." He held out a small object in the palm of his hand. Quatre and Trowa looked at it curiously. It was a thin tube, made of what appeared to be white plastic. There was a small button-like tip on one end. A thin red strip encircled the tube; a white logo next to it.

Quatre glanced at Trowa smilingly. "You were saying?" Trowa merely raised an eyebrow in reply.

Trunks held his sword in both hands, grasping it at the hilt and halfway up the length of the blade. Carefully, he checked the blade for any nicks or blemishes it may have picked up from his earlier duel. Not that he expected to find any; it was a habit more than anything. Finding nothing to warrant further attention, he slid the sword back into its scabbard with practised ease. His sensitive ears picking up footsteps coming down the hall outside, Trunks looked up.

The door handle was turned the door swung gently open; Wufei strode into the room. Inclining his head, the Chinese boy closed the door behind him and sat down. Crossing his legs, he closed his eyes in meditation. Trunks felt a sense of calm wash over him as he watched the other boy silently.

Heero slipped his key card into the slot attached to the main gate, waited for the signal of recognition, then waited as the gate slid across. Quatre and Trowa both followed him as he entered the grounds. Trowa keyed in the combination to lock the gate on the other side.

Trowa was conversing quietly with Quatre, and that suited Heero just fine. Quatre was sometimes a little too perceptive for his liking. Not to mention his fixation with getting Heero to open up. Okay, the dark-haired pilot reasoned. Quatre had had some success in that department; he was after all, even in a relationship with Relena. Without Quatre's constant pep talks about not keeping feelings bottled up, Heero doubted he would've even remained on the Earth. Most likely, he'd be back in the L1 Colony Cluster, taking more orders from Doctor J. Away from his friends; away from the one place he'd ever had the chance to call his home. A scientist's laboratory was no place for a child to grow up.

He had to admit, Quatre's badgering had paid off. Not that it was really badgering – more friendly concern. He blinked, then sighed mentally as he realised how far off track his thoughts were. He was supposed to be figuring out what was going on, not worrying about what could have been. He glanced again at the plastic tube he'd found earlier, buried in the snow. It was almost completely white, save for a thin line of red emblazoned on its side. The red colour was what had caught his eye originally; the white colour explained why he hadn't noticed it before now.

Heero stopped then, realising that they'd reached the front door of the building. The three pilots entered, using their key cards, and Heero excused himself as they went inside. He headed for the stairs. He found Duo sitting on the topmost step expectantly. "Well? What did you find?"

"How do you know I found anything?"

"I don't. But since you're you…" Duo trailed off, grinning.

Heero walked past Duo onto the landing. He seemed to hesitate for a moment but sat down next to the braided boy. He held out his hand, the white object balanced on his palm.

"What's that?" Duo asked.

"Something I found in the snow," Heero replied. "I have no idea what it does."

"Hm," Duo murmured. "Bet I know how we can find out," he said.

Heero looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"We'll just ask Trunks," Duo replied matter-of-factly. He noticed Heero's dumbfounded expression and decided to elaborate. "He has that same logo on his jacket."

Relena sat quietly on the stone bench. Its cool surface was inviting against the warm air in the garden. Quatre was standing close by, admiring the roses which were now in full bloom. Relishing the warmth, Quatre smiled at his companion. "Standing here, you'd never guess that it's the middle of winter."

Returning the smile, Relena replied, "I do like the snow; watching it fall. It makes the world seem a little more peaceful somehow." She shifted a little on the bench, making room for Quatre to sit down. He accepted the seat gratefully. His legs were still feeling a little numb due to the cold outside. Relena looked over at the flowers. "But even so, I am thankful for the climate control system. The flowers really are beautiful."

Relena was quiet for a few moments, her steady gaze taking in the surrounding greenery. Quatre meanwhile turned his thoughts away from flowers, back to the impending conversation he knew he must have with their unusual guest. _Better sooner rather than later._ He stood, smiling at Relena. "Would you excuse me Relena? I remembered that there is something I must attend to."

"Of course," she replied.

Quatre left the girl sitting quietly by herself, leaving the garden and entering the main area of the building. He moved with purposeful speed, and didn't notice someone coming the other way until he bumped into them. "Hilde!" Quatre reached out reflexively to catch the dark-haired girl before she fell. "I'm sorry," he said contritely as he steadied her.

Hilde, seemingly always in good humour, laughed at his expression. "It's okay Quatre, I'm fine." She cocked her head to the side and leant forward slightly in a mock conspiratorial manner. "So where's the fire?" She grinned widely. "Or do you have a hot date lined up?"

"I, um," Quatre said, quite at a loss for words.

"I'm kidding Quatre," Hilde told him, straightening up. "You just seemed like you were in a hurry. Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything's fine."

"Good. Anyway, have you seen Relena anywhere? I need her help with something." She hefted the as yet unnoticed bolts of silk in her arms.

"She was in the garden, just now," Quatre said.

"Great!" she enthused. "See you later." She turned and headed toward the garden, leaving Quatre to resume his own journey. However, before Quatre could continue, he saw Heero and Duo coming down the stairs.

"Hey Quatre, guess what?"

"What is it Duo?"

"Check this out." Duo pressed something into Quatre's palm. Quatre held the object out, holding it between his forefinger and his thumb.

"It's that plastic tube Heero found." A pause. "What about it?" Quatre asked, puzzled.

"Ever seen that logo before?"

"Well now that you mention it, it does look a little familiar," Quatre concluded. "But I couldn't say where I've seen it."

"It's the same logo Trunks has on his jacket," Duo informed him.

"Is it?" Quatre asked in surprise. His eyes narrowed a little in concentration. "I guess we'd better have a talk with our guest." He was all business now.

"Who's going?" Duo asked. "We can't all go and talk to him about it. If there is something going on with him, it could be dangerous. And if there isn't anything, we'd only make ourselves look suspicious."

"You're right," Heero said. "And we can't take chances, not with the Gundams being kept underneath this facility. We don't want to attract unnecessary attention."

"I'll go," Quatre said decisively. "Alone." He pointedly ignored their stares. "To tell you the truth," he said, "I was already on my way to ask him a few questions in the first place."

"About what?" Heero asked.

"I can't say," Quatre said, apologetically. "It's a little personal."

"Oh I get it," Duo said. "You're trying to figure out why he seems so miserable, underneath his façade."

"Façade?" Heero said, looking at Duo with mild surprise.

"Yeah. Come on, you can't tell me you never noticed. There's definitely something bothering that guy."

"It's none of our business." Heero pointed out.

"It very well may become our business," Quatre said.

"Well," Duo said, "In any case, I don't think you should go alone. I think one of us should go with you." Heero glanced up, hearing the uneasiness in Duo's voice. "I mean, he did manage to beat Wufei when they duelled earlier. And by the looks of things, he wasn't trying all that hard in the first place."

Heero nodded. "I agree," he said. "It seems strange that he beat Wufei so easily. Wufei's no novice."

"I'm sure there'll be nothing to worry about Duo."

"Listen Quatre," Duo said sincerely. "We don't even really know the guy. Okay, he seems nice enough, but if he's hiding something he could get nasty."

"Don't you think you're overreacting a little?" Quatre asked. He remembered the sad feelings that he'd felt emanating from Trunks. He hadn't felt anything that could be described as something to be afraid of. He'd felt anger, yes, but not in a malicious sense. It was the kind of anger that arises from being in a terrible situation that you'd give anything to get out of, but can't manage it.

"Quatre, you're always trying to look for the best in people," Heero said. "But you've got to be prepared for the possibility that perhaps Trunks is hiding something; that he can't be trusted." Duo nodded fervently. "And you Duo," Heero continued, "You shouldn't worry so much about Quatre. He's a fully trained Gundam pilot, just like you and me."

"Can't help it," Duo muttered sourly, realising that Quatre was going to do this his way, like it or not. "Neither of you ever listen to reason."


End file.
